Thimble and closure therefor



July 7, 1942. Rg w, DAWSN Er AIL. 2,289,181

THIMBLE AND cLosURE THEREFOR Filed April 29, 1940 8 JZ 2 HIL-Q. l.

s no l W/M 1an. MEM mh @if www Gttomeg Patented July 7, 1942 THIMBLE AND CLOSURE 'IHEREFOR Raymond W. Dawson, Caney, and Clarence N.

Dawson, Lawrence, Kans.

Application April 29, 1940, Serial No. 332,294

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to a thimble and closure therefor and one object is to provide a device of this character which can be employed to advantage as a combination flue-stop and re-check to eiectually prevent the escape of smoke, soot, sparks and names from a lateral stove-pipe opening leading from a chimney ue into a room.

A further object is to provide a thimble and closure therefor which may be expanded or contracted to accommodate openings of different diameters, so that it will not be necessary to manufacture the devices in many different sizes.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the thimble and the closure may be used separately or in combination with each other for many different purposes. For instance, the thimble and the closure may be used for controlling openings in the walls of various structures such as kilns, ovens, refrigerators, Ventilating openings in foundations, etc. The thimble may be used alone as a form in providing openings in new cement or concrete construction and left as a lining in the openings, or the thimbles may be contracted to permit easy removal thereof after the cement or concrete has become set sufficiently to sustain its weight. The closure may be used separately from the thimble for closing various kinds of containers, or for closing water pipes, oil pipes, air pipes, gas pipes. etc.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in Which we have shown two applications of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the thimble and closure in position for closing a lateral stove-pipe opening leading to a chimney flue.

Fig. 6 is an irregular section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2

designates the thimble which may be used as a 5 lining for a stove-pipe opening A communicating with a chimney B as shown by Fig. 1, or as a form for providing an opening in new concrete or other masonry work C, as shown by Fig. 2. The thimble is preferably formed of sheet metal having sufcient flexibility or resiliency to permit its expansion or contraction diametrically as shown in full and dotted lines, by Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The thimble 2 is reinforced with circumferential end flanges 4 and 6 and intermediate circumferential beads 8, which latter are spaced apart and provide grooves 9 at their inner surfaces for reception of the edges of the disks Ill and I2 hereinafter more fully described. The flanges 4 and 6 are split radially to provide an appropriate number of lugs I4 and I6, respectively, so that irrespective of which end of the thimble is rst placed in the stove-pipe opening A one of the lugs maybe turned inward as shown by Fig. 1, to provide an anchor for the upper end of a wire, not shown, which may be employed to hold a jointed stovepipe together by running said wire through the interior of the stove-pipe and bending'its lower end upward against the outer surface of the stove-pipe, thereby avoiding the necessity of using exterior wires fixed to the walls or ceiling of a room for holding the stoveepipe firmly in place.

The thimble 2 is split longitudinally for diametrical expansion or contraction as shown in full and dotted lines by Figs. 3 and 4, and the sides I8 and 20 of the split portion are overlapped and secured together with an appropriate number of tongues 22 cut in the side I8 and extending through circumferential slots 24 cut in the overlapping portion 20. The ends of the tongues 22 are bent down against the overlapping portion 20 to prevent accidental disengagement from the slotted portions 24.

As shown by Fig. 4 the overlapping portion 20 of the thimble is bent outwardly the thickness of the sheet metal to provide a longitudinal shoulder 26 for the edge 28 of the inner side I8 to abut and also to provide the thimble with a smooth inner surface for the margins of the disks to t against. The abutting shoulder 26 and the edge 28 coact with the abutting ends 30, 3| and 32, 33 of the respective flanges 4 and 6 in resisting stressesV tending to collapse the thimble diametrically, but when it is desired to contract the thimble to the dotted line position shown by Figs. 3 and 4 the edge 28 is bent inward to disengage shoulder 26, and the abutting ends 30, 3|, 32 and 33 are bent so that the ends 30 and 3l may slide past the ends 32 and 33, respectively, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 3.

The disks l0 and l2 hereinbefore referred to, like the thimble 2, are preferably made of sheet metal having sufficient exibility or resiliency to permit expansion and contraction thereof and are provided with knock-outs Il and l5, respectively, so that holes may be readily formed for the reception of bolts hereinafter described. The disks are dished and may be of conical form like the disks l0, or of concavo-convex form like the disks I2. Preferably, though not necessarily, each disk is split radially from its center to its periphery as indicated at 34, Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, to increase its flexibility.

Each disk may be expanded by any appropriate means such as a member 36 and a bolt 38. The member 36 has a pair of diverging arms 40 with reduced terminals 42 extending through apertures 44 cut in the sheet metal at opposite sides of the split portion 34 of the disk. The bolt 38 extends through a slot 45 in the disk and an aperture in the intermediate portion of the member 36 and is provided at its inner threaded end with a thumb-nut 46 and at its outer end with a metal strap 48 which bears against the back of the disk. By screwing the nut upon the bolt it is apparent that it will press against the intermediate portion of member 36, spread the ends of the arms 40 apart and thereby expand the disk diametrically as shown by dotted lines on Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 1 discloses another way in which the disks may be expanded into firm engagement with the grooved portions 9 of the thimble 2 without the use of the member 36 and bolt 38. As shown two disks with their concave portions facing each ther expanded with a nut 56 which is screwed '1 upon bolt 50 until it presses tightly against the apex of the front disk and has drawn nut 54 tightly against the rear disk.

When a gas or water-tight joint is desired a circular sheet of asbestos 58, or other appropriate material, is applied to the back of the inner disk before placement in the thimble and the circular margin of the sheet 58 is folded over the edge of the disk to hold the sheet in place. If

desired a split ring 6D of U-cross section may be applied to the margin of the disk to prevent cutting of the folded margin of the sheet 58. After the disks have been installed in the thimble the latter may be closed with a circular cover plate 62 having an axial nut 64 for engagement with bolt 50. When desired an additional disk may first be placed in position in the groove 9 nearest the thimble flange 6, as shown.

Fig. 2 shows another arrangement of the disks in which the two intermediate concavoconvex disks I 2 are arranged with their concave sides opposite each other and the margins of both disks entered in the same groove 9 of the thimble. This arrangement enables the two disks to brace each other and thus withstand great stresses tending to collapse the thimble. Both disks are freely Since the mounted upon an axial bolt 66 provided at its inner end with a head 68 to abut the convex sur face of the rear disk which has a square hole to receive a square shoulder 1D to prevent the bolt from turning axially with a nut l2 when being adjusted toward the convex side of the front disk for the purpose of expanding the two disks into rm engagement with the surface of the associated groove. The disk mounted upon shoulder l0 is held against the bolt head 68 by a retaining member 'H having two opposed resilient lingers 13 bent outward to permit the member 'Il to be slipped inward into engagement with the disk. The adjacent ends of the fingers then cooperate with the threads of the bolt in holding the mem ber ll firmly against the disk. When desired. a circular sheet of asbestos 'I4 is clamped between the two intermediate disks as shown. Ordinarily the two intermediate disksy will provide a satisfactory closure for the thimble 2, but when one or more dead air spaces are desired a disk is installed in the innermost groove 9 and another disk may be installed in the outermost groove as shown. The outermost disk fits freely on the bolt so that it may be expanded into rm engagement with the surface of the outermost groove 9. A cover plate 62 with a nut 64 for engagement with the bolt 66, may be employed to close the outer end of the thimble.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing it is apparent that we have provided a thimble and closure which are well adapted for the purposes intended, and while we have shown two forms of the invention we reserve all rights to such other forms and modiiications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An expansible thimble comprising a metal shell split longitudinally from end to end and having one side of the split shell overlapping the other side and provided with circumferential slots, tongues projecting through the slots from the other side to hold the two sides in overlapping relation, said tongues being of less width than the length of the slots to permit circumferential expansion and contraction of the shell and adapted to limit such expansion and contraction by contacting the ends of the respective slots, and said shell having a circumferential ange at each end, the ends of said flanges being adapted to abut and secure the shell in expanded position, or slide by each other to allow the shell to be contracted.

2. In combination, an expansible thimble cornprising a metal shell split longitudinally from end to end and having one side of the split shell overlapping the other side and provided with means for adjustably holding said sides in overlapping relation, said shell having a circumferential bead extending around the shell from one side to the other and a shoulder extending from end to end of the overlapping side of the shell and transversely through the bead, said shoulder being bent outward to provide an abutment for the respective inner ends of the shell and the bead. and an expansible disk having its circular margin projecting into the bead.

RAYMOND W. DAWSON. CLARENCE N. DAWSON. 

